Automobile body



Nov. 13, 1928.

1, 91,557 A. P. SMITH ET AL AUTOMOBILE BODY Filed Aug. 2, 1926 Nov. 13, 1928.

is its 1) st AT a I p ATENT aarnna r. srvz'rrn AND sAivr'unn meant, 'ornnw YORK, Assienons T HAP,- vann AUTO BODY COMPANY, ENG, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE B ODY.

Application filed'Augizst 2, 1926. Serial ironies-502, I

The object of the present invention is to provide a closed automobile'body which will have'the advantages of both the sedan and;

laundalet types ,oflbodies, without the di ad vantages of either.

The invention will'be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in wine Figure 1 is a view in elevation or thatportion of an automobilebody, .to which t vention is applied;

Figure 2 is similar view from the rear, and

Figure 3 is a. view in plan and partial section of a form of fastening or connecting means which may be employed in the device.

In the drawing we have shown the rear of a closed body A having a' ri id top 1 and an intermediate horizontal frame or, molding 2. In the present embodiment there is provioed at each side of the body intermediate the horizontal frame member 2 and the top 1 a rigid side panel 3 which may be provided with a window 4;.

In the usual laundalet the top is sectional and hinged in such manner as, to be swung rearwardly, the flexible leather vertical walls intermediate the rearwardly swinging por-' tion of the top and the main body portion While a laundalet possesses certain advantages in summer collapsing in such movement.

weather, it possesses decided disadvantages which have greatly restricted its general adopt-ion. One disadvantage resides in the fact that the top mustbe formed into twosections, so that the rear section may be swung downwardly with the connected collapsible side and rear panels, requiring special means for supporting and locking it in closed position and for making it water tight.

In the present invention the top 1 may be rigid throughout. Extending vertically from the frame or molding 2 and thence horizontally along the baseof the top 1 is a joint which serves to connect the side panels 5 and the rear panel (3 to the top and to the rigid side panels 3. Means such as snap fasteners of well known construction, indicated diagrammatically at 7, may be employed for securing panels 5 and 6 to the molding or frame 2. I

,Vhen the panels5 are disconnected from the body, as also the rear panel 6, the body will be converted from a sedan or limousine, as the case may be, into a laundalet, with the advantage, however, that the top 1 remains rigid throughoutand'alfords a shade member for the occupants of the rear seat of the vehicle.

: One of the important features of our in .vcntion is the provision of a joint-device:

which will enable the ready oining or (llS- joining of the panels and body.

1n practice the panels 5 and 6 may be of leather or-other flexible material, although it is not absolutely required that theybe of such construction Attheir meeting edges, however, they will preferably be provided each with a flexible connection, such as a tape, to which tape will be secured a length of contiguous fastening members complementary to the fastening members on the tape of an adjacent panel. The fastening members,

when connected, form the joint.

In Figure 3 we have illustrated a suitable form of joint. 5 indicates one of the panels and 7 a tape secured thereto. Clamped upon the tape are a plurality of adjacent parallel fastening lugs 8 which are complementary to a plurality of fastening lugs 9 onatape 10 connected to the panel indicated at 6. At 11 is indicated a sliding cam device having angularly arranged opposed walls and adapted to embrace the fastening lugs when they are moved into substantial contact and to bring them together in such manner that the projection 9 of one fastening member will enter the socket of an opposite fastening member. Upon a reverse movement of the cam member it is adapted to disengage the lugs. We make no claim to a fastening device per se, itbeing the subject of an issued United States Patent.

It will be noted that the parallel fastening members at 9 on the panel 6 do not extend beyond the inlet or opening of the cam member 11 when the two panels are separated, whereas the strip of fastening members on panel 5 is of greater length and terminates in a stop member indicated at 11 so that the cam member remains attached to panel .5 when the panels are disjoined. In joining the panels, panel 6 is moved toward panel 5 until one end of the strip of fastening members comes into register with the inlet of cam member 11. That member is then moved in a direction to forcibly bring the fastening 'members 9 into register with the fastening members 8 and finally into interlocking relationship.

e have shown a single cam member 11 for Ill) tion at the front end of the opposite panel 5 whereupon both panels 5 and panel (3 V111 be disconnected from the body except at their points of connection through snap fasteners 7. If it is desired to remove only the panel I 6 cam 11 will bemoved from its position in Figure l upwart y and thence to the right ieyond the end panel 6 and the correspond ing cam members 11 will be 'n ioved dovvnwardly to disconnect panels 5 and 6 as heretofore explained with reference to Figure 3.

It WllldJQ understood that cam member 11 will remain permanently connected to a tape which secured to the rear edges of panels 3 and to the top member 1.

'Having described our, invention What We elaiinand desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows, it being understood that the jointdevice illustrated in Figure 3 may be substituted by other forms of joints having the same general function, ithout departing from the spirit of the invention: a

e A passenger automobile body of the laundalet type having a rear door opening on each side a horizontal frame rearwardly of the a door openings, a rigid top, a side rigid mentber connecting the top and horizontal fran'ie rearwardly of each door frame, and a plurality of flexible panels in combination with interlocking meansat their marginal ed es and co-acting interlocking means therefor at the rear edge of each of said side rigid'niemhers and at the said rigid top andextending; horizontally thereof, as and for the purpose described. I v

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification.

ARTHUR P. SMITH. SAMUEL EIGHEL. 

